


The Taste of Our Love

by Kufikiria



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: (Near) Future, AUs, Domestic Fluff, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Romance, all sorts of things, canon divergences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-05-17 08:10:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14828600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kufikiria/pseuds/Kufikiria
Summary: Jake and Amy and their love story according to the flavours of The Good Place's frozen yogurts. (Or, a collection of fluffy drabbles inspired by a prompt list on Tumblr.)





	1. When the Lights Go Down at a Concert

**Author's Note:**

> While working on my TGP AU, I stumbled upon a list of all the frozen yogurt flavours you can find in a menu in episode 1x05 of The Good Place, and turned it into [a prompt list](https://b99peraltiago.tumblr.com/post/174412398041/the-good-places-frozen-yogurt-flavours-inspired) because most of the flavours could work as such.
> 
> All the drabbles gathered in this story will come from prompts sent to me based on this list then, or simply the ones I was inspired enough to write for myself :)

Jake and Amy are standing in the middle of a highly packed and loud crowd, (not so) patiently waiting for the lights to go down, and the concert they’re attending to finally start. Jake insisted they come early so that they could claim good places inside the venue, and though it’s true they have a pretty fine overview of the stage from where they stand, his new wife can’t help but wonder if leaving their apartment in the middle of the afternoon and taking a whole day off work for this was really necessary. The detective seems happy, though, she can tell from the way his eyes keep looking around the place in pure awe, like a child taking in all the sights there are to see during a first trip to Disneyland, a bright, big smile lighting up his features, or the way he speaks, in a fast, excited voice and this is all that matters. After all, they’re here for him; for his birthday.

“How did you do it?” her husband asks Amy, his shining gaze finally fixing on hers, still can’t quite believing he is really here, in The Garden, about to assist to a concert by his favourite artist on this special day, when he thought he blew up his chance of ever seeing her again all those years ago, when he was sentenced to a lifetime of not being allowed within 500 feet of her.

“I have a few friends,” the woman answers with a mysterious, secret grin.

He wants to know more, is about to plead for more details, opening his mouth to speak again, but all of a sudden her figure disappears from his view as all the lights around them go down at once and plunge the whole venue into complete darkness. Jake gasps instead then, his heart stopping for a full second, and it seems like everyone around him is doing the same, as silence fills the room and realisation hits them all in the same wave: the show’s about to begin.

It doesn’t last long, though, since soon enough there’s noise again, louder than before, some deafening cheers and  _Tay-lor, Tay-lor, Tay-lor_ chanted in unison and hyping her up to come on stage. Amy hears more than watches her husband yell his happiness and impatience for the concert to start in an almost manic way at the top of his lungs along with the crowd, and though she’s not quite as excited as the rest of the fans here about the event – she’s mainly doing this for Jake –, she soon finds herself joining in, the man’s enthusiasm quite contagious, smiling when he turns around and stares at her, his sparkling eyes and bright grin enough to light up the entire dark room.

“Happy birthday, babe,” she pulls herself closer to him so that he can hear her before the artist eventually appears in front of them and he’ll be too caught up in the moment to pay attention to anything else than the stage. As an answer, he searches for her hand, squeezing gently between his knuckles when he finds it.

“Thank you for doing this. I love you.”

After that, Jake leans over to press a soft peck on his wife’s lips, and for lack of seeing it – though she’s starting to get used to the surrounding darkness, able to make out his figure next to her now – she can feel his beam through his kiss, matching her own. They linger into it for a few more seconds, not caring about the packed crowd around as they can’t (and won’t, anyway, with their eyes stuck in front of them towards the stage not to miss Taylor’s entrance) notice them until they’re interrupted by some light coming back little by little, announcing the artist’s upcoming arrival.

“And I love you too, Taylor!” he surprises Amy by suddenly drawing himself away from their embrace, putting his whole attention back on the stage when the singer eventually comes in.

A light chuckle escapes the sergeant’s throat as she shakes her head and watches the man next to her scream the lyrics of the song Taylor Swift immediately started singing, his body moving in rhythm with the music, and her heart warms up in her chest at the sight of her happy, thrilled husband.

(She’s a bit ashamed when later that night, while curled up in bed once the concert is over, Jake rambles about his favourite artist’s amazing performances and her wonderful staging of the show and asks Amy what she liked best about it, because the truth is, for the whole time she couldn’t take her eyes off of  _him_.

 _He_  was her best part of the night – seeing how joyful her gift made him.)


	2. Newborn Baby

While curled up in bed with Amy, his whole body pressed onto hers with their legs entangled together and his hands encircling her waist, taking her in a tight embrace as there’s not much space available in the little hospital bed originally made for one they’re currently lying in, Jake is suddenly startled up by the sound of a baby crying. A quick glance at his wife’s unmoving form against him and closed eyes when he opens his makes him realise she didn’t hear their newborn daughter’s call, so he slowly, ever so carefully draws himself from her, leaving the bed to head towards the crib where their baby was silently sleeping until now, when she seems very awake and very  _sad_  all of a sudden.

He stands next to her, studying her for a second before he reaches to her and gently rubs her belly with a warm, though sleepy smile forming on his face.

“You hungry?” he asks, as if she’s going to answer him, telling him what’s wrong with her, before he turns around and looks at the woman still deep asleep in the bed, so exhausted she doesn’t even flinch at the infant’s cries. He watches her quiet, sleeping form for a little longer before putting his attention back on the girl.

Ever so carefully, he takes her out of the crib and into his arms, rocking her back and forth while walking around the room, praying this will be enough to calm her down – he would feel bad waking Amy up when she’s finally getting some rest.

She deserves it, after the hours of labour she’s been through.

“Shh, everything’s fine, Daddy’s here,” Jake starts talking to the baby in a soothing voice, making sure he keeps it low enough not to disturb his wife. “Can you wait a little longer? Mommy needs her sleep,” he explains, pointing towards her. “You know, she worked hard to bring you into the world today.”

As he speaks, the newborn’s father takes a sit back on a chair next to the bed, looking at Amy with a loving, amazed beam lighting up his own tired features. “I understand, though. You’d like to have her taking care of you right now. I mean, she’s the best – you’ll quickly realise how lucky you are to have such a mom. I would know that, because every day I’m reminding myself how lucky I am to call her my  _wife_. And now have her as the mother of my  _baby_. Of you.”

Little by little, Jake’s quiet voice and rocking seem to calm the infant down, who now watches him with her big brown eyes wide open, her cries almost muffled out as she listens to him. He leans over then, placing a soft kiss on top of his new daughter’s head. “See? I knew we could do it, together. For your mom.”

When he looks up though, he’s met with the woman’s gaze stuck on the both of them, a grin lighting up her face, and a single, happy tear rolling on her cheek.

“How long have you been awake?” her husband asks her in surprise.

“Long enough to realise how lucky  _I_  am to have you as the father of my baby. Though I never doubted for a second that you’d be so great,” the young mother replies, heart warming up in her chest at the declaration she just witnessed, and Jake simply smiles in return. “Is she hungry?” She quickly becomes serious again, nodding towards their daughter, who’s now gone completely silent.

The detective looks down at her, at how her little hand curls around his finger, listening to her parents’ voice, and he shakes his head. “Nope,” he puts his eyes back on his wife with a reassuring smile. “She just wanted attention, it seems.” Then, with that, he stands up and takes his place back on the bed next to Amy, his free hand encircling her waist as soon as he’s sat down while she starts rubbing the infant’s belly, with her whole attention put on her.

“Urgh,” she chuckles. “She’s so much like you already.”

For only answer, Jake lets out a light laugh before he kisses his wife’s temple and lays his head in the crook of her neck, both parents watching their newborn baby starting to fall back asleep in her father’s arms with pure bliss.


	3. Baby Kittens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Read this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14252370) if you want more backstory about Peanut the Cat, though it's not necessary to fully understand this story – it'll just explain how they got it and all.

“I thought you said it was a male.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what it looked like when I took him in, but obviously I must have been mistaken. It’s not like I check our cat’s genitals every day.”

“Clearly, you should’ve.”

Amy doesn’t bother answering her fiancé’s comment, simply rolling her eyes as she opens her car’s door and takes a seat on the conductor’s side while Jake finds his own next to her, the cat the woman rescued a few months back locked in a cage carefully put on his lap on their way out of the vet’s office after an emergency checkup – Peanut was acting weird, lately. And, though he reassured them about it being perfectly well and healthy, he also gave them some surprising news: first, that their ‘little boy’ is, in fact, a _lady_ , and second… that’s she’s pregnant. With actual _babies_ , expected to come in the next weeks.

Something the newly-engaged couple really doesn’t need, especially now that they have a wedding to take care of, on top of everything else in their lives.

“You couldn’t keep it in your pants, huh?” Jake looks down at the cat when he’s all settled in the vehicle, talking to her in a blaming tone and glare that make his fiancée laugh, if only for a second, before she falls all serious again.

“What are we gonna do?” She sighs and shoots a worried glance at her partner as she speaks. “We don’t have the time or space for this.”

“We’re gonna be just fine.” He offers her a reassuring smile, then draws one of his hands away from the cage to lay it on Amy’s thigh, squeezing gently. “You heard what the vet said. They’re only three in there – it could have been much worse. It’s just for a few months, I’m sure we’ll easily find them a home after that. Like Charles or Terry. There’s no way Charles will say no to adopt one of our cat’s babies, and we’ll just have to make sure Terry’s daughters meet them, and they’ll do all the convincing work for us. And… maybe we could keep the last one?” Jake tries, looking at the woman beside him with a grin and pleading face.

“Jake…” she warns – they can’t start thinking like this, otherwise they’ll end up keeping them _all_ , she knows, which is out of the question. She can’t help a chuckle from escaping her throat at his silliness when she lets out his name, though.

“Sorry babe, you know I had to try.” He doesn't seem apologetic at all when he goes on, “The point is, we’ll be just fine,” he repeats his very first words. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she nods with a small smile.

* * *

When they head to work together the next morning, Jake barely waits until Amy and he are out of the elevator and inside the bullpen to shout at the attention of their colleagues, “Gather around, squad, we have an announcement to make!”

Everyone turns around to look at them with curious eyes. “We’re having a baby!” the detective doesn’t wait any longer to say it, a grin lighting up his features as he speaks. “Well, three babies actually. And we’re counting on you to take them in when they’re old enough to be separated from their mother.”

Their friends’ curiosity turns into shock when they hear the news, and Charles simply collapses from his chair to the floor at these new pieces of information – clearly, this is too much for him to handle.

“WHAT?!!” Terry is the first one to speak again after a silent pause.

Amy shakes her head, turning to her boyfriend and shooting him a dark glare. “I told you not to say it like that,” she complains before she puts her whole attention back on the rest of their squad, who are now waiting for her to further explain herself. “What Jake means is that _our cat_ is pregnant with three kittens, and they’ll need a home when they’re weaned, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Charles, who apparently came back from his fainting, seems disappointed that his favourite couple isn’t expecting real children, until excitement suddenly hits him again, remembering both of his friends’ last words. “But yes, Jakey, I’ll take one of your babies,” he immediately agrees to their request.

“ _Told you_ ,” the man silently but proudly mouths to his fiancée, who simply rolls her eyes through her already pouting face, a little disgusted by their colleague’s choice of words. She doesn’t have the time to correct him, though, because Rosa suddenly joins in the conversation.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be a male?” she asks, a little confused.

“Well, I might have been mistaken…” Amy shamefully acknowledges. “But she was young when I took her in, and it’s hard to tell when they’re young!” she tries to defend herself when the other detectives start making fun of her mistake.

“And it’s not like she checks our cat’s genitals every day,” Jake backs her up, re-using the excuse she told him the previous day. He gives her a knowing beam as he lets the words out, and she can’t help but offer him a warm, touched smile back.

It takes some more time for conversations about this topic to eventually die, and mostly for Charles to shut up about how he thinks this situation finally is such a blessing for them, allowing the couple to have a first experience at ‘parenting.’ They try (in vain) to make him leave them alone with this all day but the truth is, when a few weeks later, the kittens are finally born and the two fiancés are curled up in bed watching their mother licking them to clean them out and get to know them after a long and painful labour they even had to help happen in the middle of the night because of some complications with the last kitten, all Amy can think of is the moment when they’ll be welcoming an actual child into this world.

 _Their_ own child, into _their_ own world.

“I can’t wait to have real babies with you,” she doesn’t wait to tell Jake in a whisper as she lets her head rest on the crook of his neck, and he kisses her temple in return.

“We’ll definitely be the best parents.”

(In the end, they _do_ end up keeping the one kitten they saved, already too fond of it to let it go elsewhere, while Charles and Terry promise to take great care of the other two – everything turning out just _fine_ indeed.)


	4. Learning to Tie Your Shoes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Young!Peraltiago AU.

“Your laces are undone.” Amy suddenly stops in what she was doing and points at Jake’s right foot, showing him what she’s talking about. The young boy follows her gaze, then shrugs when he looks back up at her, not seeming bothered by it.

“That’s okay,” he replies before he concentrates right back on the game they’re playing, but his friend doesn’t seem pleased with his laid-back attitude and answer.

“You should redo them, otherwise you might step on it and fall.” She glares at him. Her voice sounds more serious this time, almost bossy even, her little arms crossed over her chest. Jake knows the girl enough to know she’s stubborn and won’t let him get away with this without an explanation. He sighs, defeated.

“I don’t… I can’t,” he stutters in a low voice, almost inaudible, unable to meet Amy’s eyes as he loses all self-confidence and feels ashamed of the situation, starting to nervously play with his hands. She frowns, staring at him – she doesn’t quite understand what’s going on with him.

“Why…” She wants to ask, but suddenly realisation hits her. “You don’t know how to tie your shoes, do you?” she wonders instead. There’s no hint of mockery in her voice – it’s just a plain, curious question. The boy tries and looks back up at her then, and finds himself face to face with a smiling Amy – not a teasing grin, though; it’s something genuine, which invites him to be honest with his answer.

“No,” he acknowledges with a shake of his head. He waits for a second, holding his breath as he studies the girl’s face, so sure that if she didn’t react at first, she will now burst into laughter at his confession – he’s almost 8, after all, and all of the children his age have known how to tie their shoes for a while already; even  _younger_  ones, just like Amy –, but nothing happens. She remains silent. Despite this, he still feels the urge to explain himself. “It’s my first pair of laced shoes. Dad offered them to me last time he came home, but he left again before he taught me how to lace them. And mom’s too busy.”

The girl’s heart tightens in her chest hearing this, feeling bad for her friend, but she doesn’t make any comment. Instead, she thinks for a second before her face suddenly lits up and she starts smiling. Jake watches her in confusion when she squats right next to him without a warning, then looks back up at him.

“Do you want me to teach you?”

There’s an excited spark in her eyes as she speaks about helping her friend that makes all the shame the boy may have felt vanish at once, and a beam of his own is brightening his features when he agrees to her request with a nod. She doesn’t wait any longer to show him the way then, all the while describing each step out loud for him to better understand what she’s actually doing.

Jake watches in complete silence while she moves her hands over his shoes, more concentrated than he’s ever been in his entire life as he listens to her words, even participating in the process by asking some questions – he wants to do good; he wants to make her  _proud_. Amy is thrilled to answer to any one of them with the more details possible and, after a few times tying and untying her friend’s shoes, she finally draws herself from him, leaving them untied.

“Your turn,” she kindly invites him to try and do the same as she just showed him so that he can put her lesson into actual practice.

He’s hesitant at first, not sure he’ll manage to do half as good a job as she did, but a quick glance at the reassuring smile she’s shooting at him is all it takes for the boy to lean over and do his best to imitate her friend’s gesture. Obviously, it takes him several times trying and failing, but after a while, he finally gets it.

_“I did it!”_  Jake shouts and grins as he happily looks back up at Amy, proudly showing her his now tied shoes and, though it’s far from being a perfect tie, she beams in return – she has to admit it’s a good start, after all. Plus she wouldn’t dare to crush her friend’s joy; seeing him like this actually warms her heart. She feels like a proud teacher. “Thank you,” he kisses her cheek in a sudden rush of boldness, and when he draws himself from her only a second later, he can see she’s blushing, caught off guard by this sudden sweet gesture.

(He’s very much blushing too.)

* * *

“Mommy’s the one who taught you how to do it?” Sarah asks as she watches her father showing her how to tie her shoes while sharing his anecdote with her.

“Yes. The best teacher I could have ever asked for,” Jake heartedly replies.

This answer intrigues the little girl, curious about her parents’ story. “How long have you known each other?” The man looks up at her then, stopping in his movements for a minute. He turns to shoot a quick, loving glance at his wife, who’s watching her two loves from afar with a warm smile, sitting on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand, the other tenderly rubbing her huge 8-month pregnant belly.

“She’s been my best friend since we were five.”

Amy’s beam only grows wider at his words, bliss taking over her whole core when her husband puts his attention back on their daughter after a last knowing share of gaze and goes on teaching her how to tie her shoes with the same precision  _she_  did with him all those years ago. It’s kind of mindblowing, thinking about this moment again, and how this goofy friend from school, as time went by, turned into the absolute most important person in her life.

The father of her child – soon-to-be child _ren_.


	5. The Perfect High Five

“Ana, if you don’t come and put your scarf and beanie  _right now_ , we won’t be able to pick daddy up at work!” Amy’s threatening voice rises up into the air, over her daughter’s own laughter currently filling the room as she’s excitedly running around the house. Her warning seems to work, since only a minute later, the 5-year old girl appears in front of her, grabbing the clothes her mother was holding in her hands and hastily putting them on her head and around her neck.

She’s done getting dressed in record-time, turning back to look at her mother with a proud grin that shows her small dimples and newly-missing teeth – something resembling a lot Jake’s own smile (minus the missing teeth, of course – though he  _did_  lose one of his once), Amy can’t help but think. “Look, mommy, I’m ready, we can go!” She squirms, unable to remain still, obviously very impatient to leave the house and meet with her father after a long day away from him.

The woman lets out a heartful laugh at the sight of her child – she’s nothing  _near_  ready, unfortunately, despite her indeed putting her clothes on like she was asked to. Her beanie is put all upside down, already falling on one side, leaving her right ear only covered by her long, dark curls, and her scarf is only loosely tied too. Her mother approaches her and squats in front of the little girl to rearrange them over her body. She then looks back up at her with a smile and blows a quick peck on the top of her head. “Here.” She takes a short moment to contemplate her work before she finally stands up. “ _Now_  we’re ready.”

She offers Ana her hand, that the child immediately takes in hers, curling her small fingers around Amy’s. They head out the doorway and towards the parked car then. The ride to the ninety-ninth precinct is filled with the young girl’s comments, unable to keep quiet, even for just a minute. After all, she  _loves_  it when her parents take her to visit their workplace (where they met for the first time, too, she knows the story well); loves everyone there, all her work-aunts and uncles and how they take care of her and always show her cool stuff.

What she loves most, though, along with playing with all the toys placed on Jake’s desk of course (which have strangely doubled in number since her birth), has to be hanging out in Holt’s office with her ‘grampa Ray.’

When they finally enter the bullpen, the one man they’re looking for isn’t here. Charles is the one welcoming them in a warm, almost teary embrace at the sight of the little girl and her mother ( _“look who’s here – my beautiful little half-Jake!”_   _“urgh, Uncle Charles, stop calling me that!”_ ) before informing them that their detective is not here but still on the field. This is how they find themselves, upon Ana’s request, knocking on Holt’s door instead.

“Grampa Ray!” The child barely waits for him to answer their call to rush into the office and jump straight onto his lap, greeting him with a tight, loving hug, to which he timidly answers. He tries to hide it as much as he can, but Amy notices the smile forming on his face as he holds the child close nonetheless, and her heart instantly warms up in her chest seeing two of her favourite people sharing this sweet moment together.

No matter what he may assure, Raymond is completely head over heels for his goddaughter.

Eventually, they part from their embrace, but Ana shows no intention of moving from his lap even after that. He keeps her there without question, simply looking back up at her mother to greet her as well. After explaining what they’re doing here, Amy and her mentor engage in conversations, the woman updating him on her recent promotion from being sergeant of the uniformed officers to managing detectives now, another step towards her lifelong goal.

* * *

First thing Jake notices when he comes back from the field, finally ready to go home to his family, is his wife’s purse laid on his desk. He turns around, frowning in surprise – she’s not supposed to be here but in their house, taking care of their daughter on the girl’s holidays and her day off –, but as he scans the room in search of Amy, he’s met with an empty bullpen; it seems like everyone has left already, and there’s no sign of the woman nowhere near. The only still lively place looks to be Holt’s office, with the lights still on, that’s why he heads over there, hoping he’ll know where she is.

What he sees when he opens the door after being invited to makes him suddenly stop in his tracks, a true beam lighting up his features at the sight of his little girl sitting on his “work dad” lap and currently playing with whatever she found on his desk while her mother is sitting in front of him, talking. Ana looks up from her game when she hears the creaking sound of the door opening and her face brightens as well when she recognises who just came in.

“Daddy!” she exclaims as she unceremoniously jumps off the other man’s lap and in Jake’s arms instead, curling her small arms around his neck when he squats to meet her height and pick her, tightening his embrace around her back as he stands back up.

“How’s my favourite girl doing?” The detective draws himself a little bit away from his daughter so that he can see her fully, grinning widely as he speaks.

“I missed you,” she admits with a sad pout. She raises a hand to gently poke his cheek with her finger, her smile back within a second before she goes on. “So mommy said we could come and bring you home.” Her eyes are shining as she watches him and, hearing her words, Jake’s own beam softens.

He missed her too – a lot. Always does when he’s away from her, even for just a few hours of work. If it were up to him, he’d never leave his house and her.

( _Them_ , with Amy.)

Thinking about his wife makes him search for her gaze behind the girl’s shoulder, offering her a tender smile when their eyes finally meet as she turned around and is now watching the two members of her family interact together from her seat, her heart so full in her chest. He comes closer, Ana still comfortably settled in his arms and puts his free hand on his wife’s shoulder, kissing her hair as a tender ‘hello.’

“Well, I won’t keep you there any longer.” Holt suddenly hawks, breaking the moment between the family, reminding them where they are and who they are with. “Go home, Peralta, the day’s over.”

“Thank you, Sir.” The detective nods, and as she quickly stands up to follow him out, Amy blushes, a little ashamed of acting in such an intimate way in front of her former captain.

But, before they have the chance to pass the office’s door, Ana asks to be released from her father’s arms. Once put back on the ground, she goes straight towards the older man and offers him her hand, exchanging a serious look with him. Her parents curiously watch her do from afar, a small, soft smile lighting up their features, pretty sure she’s asking him for a handshake.

“Bye, grampa Ray!” she exclaims and, right on cue, he gently hits her small palm with his bigger one in a knowing gesture. After that follows a number of elaborate, though perfectly synchronised movements between them – their very own, personalised high five, the other two soon realise; something they must have worked on for a long time to make it look that good – and still, it’s the first time Jake and Amy are witnessing it.

“Oh my God, it’s the perfect high five!” the little girl’s father gasps in a whisper, his eyes glued on her and Holt’s movements while his hand reaches to grasp his wife’s arm, watching them do in shock and awe, barely believing it, feeling both proud and touched by such a scene at the same time.

(Next to him, Amy is pretty much the same mess – nothing can make her happier than seeing her daughter and mentor share a bonding moment together – except maybe the sight of her  _husband_  and daughter sharing a bonding moment together as well.)


	6. Baby Laughter

Her name is Ana Santiago Peralta (he’s the one who insisted she takes her mother’s name first, because  _you’re the one who kept her in there for all these months, babe, you deserve the reward!_ ) – 5 lbs., 9 oz., 18.8 inches and a few strands of raven hair already visible on top of her little baby head when she first joins this Earth on a fine June afternoon, 3 weeks early but perfectly healthy, too impatient to meet her parents to wait any longer.

Her name is Ana Santiago Peralta, and she’s the most precious thing Jake and Amy get to lay their eyes on – they fall in love with her the very instant the nurse puts her in the woman’s arms after 16 hours of tiring, painful labour, telling them it’s a girl through the newborn’s cries, and her mother sheds a happy tear when she points to her face to gently, ever so softly, skim at her tiny, pink, delicate cheek, her eyes never leaving her form and her husband fully crying next to her as he watches the scene in complete awe. This is their  _daughter_  he’s looking at.

_“Welcome to the family, pal.”_

She’s a little older than three months when Jake manages to come back home early in the afternoon after a rather uneventful day at work, and all he wants – all he could think about all day –  _every_  day since his paternity leave ended – is to hold his baby close and kiss his wife. He finds them sitting on the couch when he enters the apartment, Amy holding their daughter in such a way they’re facing each other, her hands carefully clenched under Ana’s arms to keep her balanced while her little onesie pyjamas-covered feet are resting on the woman’s lap. All of the baby’s attention is set on her mother while she talks to her, a huge grin lighting her still tired face seeing what the sound of her voice does to the infant – the way she never stops looking at her, somehow captivated.

The detective pauses in his tracks for a short second, taking in the sight with a beam of his own, his heart filling with pure bliss in his chest. It’s for moments like these he’s grateful his captain understands his need of being home and lets him quit the precinct early during the calm days. He quickly joins his family, though, unable to remain only a spectator of the scene for too long. Arriving from behind Amy, he puts a hand on his wife’s shoulder to let her know he’s here, squeezing gently there before he blows a small kiss in her messy hair then draws his whole attention on Ana, with his face suddenly appearing beside her mother’s.

He’s smiling broadly when he reaches to poke her with his free hand, leaving it there to softly tickle her belly. “Hi, baby!” he says and his daughter squirms at his touch and the surprising new head that came out of nowhere. Her stare switches from the woman holding her to her father and, without a warning, she lets out a new, never-heard-before happy sound when she recognises him.

Jake’s eyes grow bigger as he turns around to exchange a glance with Amy. “Did I just make her laugh?” he asks, a little puzzled, his heart starting to race fast in his chest at the simple thought of it. He then looks back at the infant. “Did  _that_  make you laugh?” he repeats, tickling her belly a little more before disappearing then reappearing from behind his wife again like he just did.

This time, when Ana opens her mouth again, the sound lasts longer, allowing it to become clearer – and it’s  _clear_  that sound’s a laugh indeed.

“Babe, I’m making our daughter laugh!”

Jake seems so astonished and touched by the fact, unable to stop his silly movements and own bursts of laughter every time his daughter does now that he found how to trigger their baby, Amy doesn’t know what makes her laugh too the most: him, or Ana’s adorable, become uncontrollable giggles.

Probably a mix of the two.

What she’s sure of, though, at that moment (has been for long already), is that she loves them both so,  _so_  much, and that she’ll hold this memory dear in her heart forever, always remembering the sound of her daughter’s first laugh, accompanied by her husband’s and her own – it’s actual music to her ears.

(Her name is Ana Santiago Peralta, and making her laugh soon becomes her parents’ favourite activity when they’re all at home together, the happy sound filling their happy household with pure happiness.)


	7. Hot Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5x20 Canon-divergence: instead of Rosa, it was Amy who found herself stuck in this active shooter situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name of the yogurt flavor/prompt was "Hot Shower" but I really wanted it to be a bath so... it's gonna be a bath lmao. Also this one's a bit more angsty than the others.
> 
> (And weird? Idk, I've been in a weird mood while writing this so it's possible it doesn't make much sense, I'm sorry – but I needed to get it out of my head :'))
> 
> Anyways, ever since we got the press release for 5x20 I wanted to write such a canon-divergence with Amy in danger so... here it is, I suppose!

Amy comes back home to the smell of cleaned house and burnt dinner.

She doesn't really have the time to wonder too much about it, though, because as soon as she passes the front door of her apartment, she's immediately pulled back by a weight rushing onto her, hands cupping her face and lips finding her own, taking them prisoners.

The kiss is messy, desperate.

It's Jake's fingers coming to brush her cheeks before she even has the chance to make another step inside; it's her arms hooking around his back on instinct and searching for balance, gripping his skin over his shirt, taking him with her as she pulls him  _close, closer, the closest_  she can to her chest.

It's her response to his assault, with just as fierce as him, barely breathing and yet feeling like she's finally able to breathe again.

It's making up for the lack of existing words that could cover what's on their minds at the end of this awful day they had to go through – and thus it's the sound of their pounding hearts filling the silence of their apartment, proof that they're alive and  _well_. It's her being back home – back to  _him_.

It's the world turning round again.

And, finally, it's one sentence whispered between two quiet sobs when they part, tears falling through shut eyes, foreheads still touching and fingers still brushing skin. "I was so afraid I might lose you today."

"I know. But it's over now. I'm here. I'm fine."

At his fiancée's words, Jake finally draws away, taking one, then two steps back so that he can get a full view of her. He remains quiet as he stares at her – more like  _studies_  her –, in search of any possible injury, until he sees  _it_  – just below her ear, a red spot standing out against her unusually pale and oh so tired face.

"You're hurt." It's a statement more than a question, and the worry is obvious in his raw voice, and even more so in his gestures, bringing his hand back up to her face, gentler this time, softly brushing beside the blooded strain with his thumb, his wet eyes unable to look away from it.

Until Amy forces him to, making him meet her gaze as she reaches for his hand, moving it off her and curling their fingers together instead.

"It's not mine," she tells him, reassuring, offering him a small smile – but it barely reaches her eyes. She doesn't say more, and Jake can read in her expression that she won't. She doesn't want to talk about it now – so he doesn't insist, simply letting out a relieved sigh as the words repeat in his head.

_Not hers._

"I ran a bath for you," the detective suddenly lets out, not knowing what else to say and wanting to change his fiancée's mind from what she had to live through. She only frowns in return, so he goes on with his explanation. "I–… I needed to do something to keep me occupied while you were in there and I couldn't help, so I tried to come up with ideas of how I could make your day better otherwise. I thought a clean house and your favourite dinner would be a good start for when you're back home, but I–… I completely messed up the cooking part."

 _Hence the burnt smell,_  Amy thinks but doesn't reply with anything – only lets him talk.

"I did order your favourite takeout instead, though. And I ran a bath for you," he repeats his first words. "It's probably still warm, if you want." He looks nervous as he waits for her to react in any way. She still doesn't say a word at first, simply watches him in awe, tears starting to prickle back in her eyes as her heart clenches in her chest.

It's been a tough day for her, facing danger like she did, but there's no doubt  _his_  was just as horrible, being left aside while his fiancée was running a huge risk.

"A bath sounds perfect." Her smile is bigger this time, and looks more real, when she answers him and lets him guide her towards the bathroom, her muscles relaxing at the simple thought of hot water skimming her skin and cleaning her out of the remnant of the day stuck on her skin – Jake thought right;  _this_  is exactly was she needs right now.

This, and her fiancé – nothing more.

She doesn't spare any second before she takes off her sergeant uniform and goes inside the bath, breathing out a content sigh when her body hits the hot water, letting herself sink into it until only her head is out, the tips of her now loosened hair floating over her bare shoulders, eyes closed to better appreciate the feeling that's overwhelming her – it's really soothing.

Sensing Jake's gaze on her, she eventually opens back her eyes, watching him watch her. He hasn't moved an inch, debating with himself what he should do – leave her to enjoy her bath alone, or stay with her to keep her company. Truth is, he's so hesitant because he doesn't what  _she_  would like best, after what she's been through.

He doesn't want to be away from her but at the same time, he doesn't want to force his presence onto her either.

"Come in with me." Amy helps him take a decision by inviting him to join her inside the bath, pulling her legs back to her chest and scooting over to leave him some space. He remains still for a little longer, until he finally obliges to her request, letting his own clothes fall onto the floor next to hers, then carefully stepping into the tub as well, sitting behind her, his own legs framing her form.

When he's settled comfortably enough, she brings herself back towards him, resting against his chest and relaxing into his embrace, closing her eyes again while his wet fingers gently come brushing the naked skin of her arms and he kisses the top of her head, making her pleasantly shiver. They keep quiet, simply enjoying the moment and the fact that they're back together for a while.

"Thank you. For everything." Amy eventually breaks it, opening her eyes once more and turning around to face her fiancé. He frowns in confusion as he stares back at her.

"I didn't do much. And I still managed to burn dinner."

She lets out a small chuckle at that, taking her hand out of the water to bring it to his face, gently cupping his cheek while she smiles at him. "But you tried. At this bath with you… it's actually all I needed after a day like this. This, and the fact that you didn't try to come and help me. I know how hard it must have been for you to stay here and do nothing."

This time, it's Jake's turn to bring out his hand, absentmindedly curling the wet tip of a strand of her raven hair between his fingers. "It was hell indeed." He doesn't try to hide it, not even a little. "And I almost gave up several times. But I know that's what you wanted me to do. Stay away. So I did."

"I love you." Amy only answers in return as she draws closer, her hand on his cheek finding a new place on the back of his neck while her lips tenderly meet his own, and his own fingers slide along her sides to find their rightful place at her waist under the water, tenderly skimming at the bare skin there while they share a kiss. It's a lot softer than their reunion one, but still as meaningful and full of a shared passion for the other.

When they part, and he watches her, their eyes lost in the other's, Jake finally asks her the question that's been burning his tongue from the moment she appeared in front of him, back in their apartment. "You're okay?"

She's been through quite a traumatic event, today, after all – he doesn't know exactly what she saw, or how close to danger she's been, but he will let her tell him in her own terms, when she feels like it.

Her mouth curls up in a loving beam when she answers him. "Yeah. With you, I'm always gonna be."


	8. Satisfying TV Finale

It’s not the first time Jake or Amy discover (and finish)  _Parks and Recreation_.

It is, however, the first time they watch it  _together_  – they’ve been doing a marathon of the TV show for almost half a year now, and have just reached the end of its finale.

“Are you crying?” Amy hears a sniffle by her side when silence takes over the living room, once the screen in front of them has turned to black after the very last scene of the series played.

There’s another sniffle – quieter, trying to be more discreet this time. “No…”

“Jake.”

“Okay, fine. I  _am_  crying. But can you blame me? That was beautiful! They all got the happy ending they wanted and deserved…” Jake wants to defend himself, pouting as she turns her head away from the TV to look at him and she catches a glimpse of his puffy eyes and a few fallen tears on his cheeks.

She lets out a small giggle, scooting over further into his side on the couch. With her thumb, she softly removes a salty pearl, her eyes drowning in his while she smiles at him.

“They did indeed,” she nods.

It’s quiet for a while after that, Jake and Amy cuddling together in complete silence, the woman mindlessly playing with the collar of her fiancé’s shirt and his hand gently stroking her arm, lost in their thoughts and this feeling of emptiness that comes with finishing a show they love and having to say goodbye (again) to its characters after so long.

Indeed, Jake had just gotten out of prison when they started their rewatch, in need of something cheerful to help ease the traumatizing experience he went through – and they’re  _engaged_ , now.

Only a few months away from being married.

“What do you think the flashforwards to our futures would be like, if we were characters in a TV show with a similar finale?” Amy wonders aloud, suddenly breaking the calmness in the room.

“Easy.” Jake draws a little away from her, so that he can watch her better as he speaks.

Amy frowns, curious to hear what he has in mind that is so ‘easy,’ not expecting such a quick answer, without him taking some time to think about it first.

“Well, first of all, there’d be our wedding day.” He takes his fiancée’s left hand in his, a dreamy smile curling up the corners of his mouth when his gaze lingers on the ring shining there for a moment and his finger ever-so carefully skims over it. “Me, you, and everyone we care about all together to celebrate our love.”

A matching expression covers Amy’s face, being reminded of their upcoming union. She turns her hand so that their palms are facing and she can intertwine hers with Jake’s, waiting for him to go on.

“Of course, just like Leslie, you’d achieve your long-life dream and become the youngest Captain of the NYPD, in front of the whole squad and your so proud husband.”

Her smile grows wider, but she doesn’t say anything. She likes his ideas so far, and doesn’t want to cut him off in the middle of sharing them.

“And I’d obviously achieve mine too – meet John McClane and become such good friends, he’d ask me to play in  _Die Hard 6_  with him.” Jake grins, amused, sensing Amy’s body shudder with laughter against his.

“ _That’s_  your dream?” She gently teases him.

“Of course. But don’t worry, babe. I’m not gonna forget about you when I’m a Hollywood star hanging out with the most famous actors.”

She rolls her eyes at that but, despite all her willpower, she can’t retain a chuckle from escaping her mouth, especially when Jake leans over and presses a soft peck on her lips, his hand falling down her side to rest at her waist. His enthusiasm and huge beam spread across his face when they part seem to prove very catching.

“Speaking of, what about the two of us?” Amy is curious about his take on their future as a couple – besides their wedding. He falls serious again, watching her intently with pure love in his eyes as he goes on with his speech, his smile more gentle now, staring deeply at her.

“Well, just like Andy and April, there’d be the birth of our first child.”

The mention of a child of their own makes Amy’s heart warm up in her chest, something switching in her eyes and her features softening immediately.

It’s not the first time they’re talking about becoming parents someday with Jake, obviously. They had the conversation several times already.

But still, it always produces the same reaction in her – a pure, overwhelming bliss at the thought of minis part-Jake, part-her going around the house.

“Any other flashforward with possible children?” She goes on playing along, an amused grin lighting up her face while her fingers lovingly stroke his own while picturing a life with their progeny.

“Actually, yes. One last. Our whole family – with our two girls and one boy, making some silly bet to know who – _they_ or _we_ – will have to make dinner for the upcoming night.”

Amy lets out a hearted laugh. “I hope our children end up better cooks than we are,” she answers, making Jake laugh along with her with her words.

She then suddenly falls silent, staring at her fiancé.

The way he didn’t pause nor hesitate once while he spoke, as if he thought about her question a lot in the past, does something beautiful to her heart, warming it up in a way no one else ever did before.

(He definitely is  _the one_  – her right person.)

And, in fact, he did think about it. Not the ‘what if we were characters in a TV show finale’ part of the question – but their future. Everything he talked about is what he wishes for them – and  _her_  – in the upcoming years.

For himself too, of course, though befriending an actor and getting a role in  _Die Hard_  objectively seems less achievable than his soon-to-be wife making Captain and them having kids together.

Which is kind of crazy to him, given how just a few years ago, he’d have put everything in this wish-list on the same level, being a husband and father sounding just as impossible as his favourite movie-related fantasies to him.

(It’s not anymore – the ring on Amy’s left finger is a real proof of it.)

“But it sounds like a true happy ending for our characters.” Amy talks again, still completely overwhelmed with joy, taking Jake back to the reality of the moment. “Very satisfying finale.”

“That’s what we deserve,” he answers, wearing a sincere smile, slowly coming to cup her face and kiss her softly.

When they part, he stares at her for a beat, as if lost in thoughts.

“Though I do hope getting married and having kids won’t be our happy  _ending_. More like a happy beginning, with so many more great adventures to come for us all even after that.”

“That’s the pitch of another TV show finale, babe,” Amy laughs, teasing, before she kisses him back.

She agrees with him, though – their story is far from being over.

If anything, it’s only barely starting, with a wedding expected in a few months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know which TV show finale I'm talking about in the end – it's Once Upon a Time, with its talks of 'happy beginnings' and 'more adventures' :)


	9. Sitting by the Fireplace

Jake slowly goes down the stairs, minding each of his steps not to wake anyone in the house, walking barefoot on the creaking wood.

The morning is so young still, he can see through the window that the moon is shining high outside, hidden behind the clouds. It’s not entirely dark, though – there’s snow falling down in millions of huge flakes, whitening the sky and bringing some light in. Everything is quiet around him, a surely most welcomed contrast to the bustle of the rest of the day, when all of Amy’s numerous nieces and nephews are up and running, excited, around the place. Jake’s never really been one for waking up early, but ever since he became a father, he’s come to understand – and fully appreciate, even – the true beauty of mornings, with his precious little girl calling for her parents at hours he would have considered inconceivable in the past.

For sure, it’s exhausting. More than once did he let out a desperate groan before leaving his bed when it’s his turn to check on their crying baby in the middle of the night, especially after a long day at work. But, once he has his daughter all curled up against his chest, falling back to sleep with her blinking eyes stuck on him and her tiny hand gripping one of his fingers, all tiredness is quickly forgotten, replaced with a blissful feeling. He finds then that there’s something really soothing about these moments – how they’re the only two awaken souls in the house – the whole  _building_ , probably –, the sun itself not having risen up yet either, surrounded by nothing but silence as he paces back and forth the nursery, his calm whispers and Ana’s breathing, turned quieter and quieter with every second passing by, the only audible sound.

This morning, though, he’s not alone. The girl’s cries aren’t even what woke him up so early – rather the odd absence of them, or any other possible noise as simple and quiet as her or his wife’s catch of breath next to him, did. He was surprised to realize his room was empty, when he first opened his eyes, and decided to go look for his family.

He hears Amy’s presence before he can see her, her humming voice resonating through the walls as he goes downstairs, mingling with the crackling sound of flames burning inside the fireplace. It’s only when he enters the living room that his gaze falls upon her silhouette – she’s sitting there, on a couch in front of the chimney, wearing his NYPD hoodie and an extra blanket, their daughter comfortably lying in her arms. His expression immediately softens at the sight, an endearing smile forming on his face. He stays there, watching, for a while.

She doesn’t seem to have heard him coming in, her whole attention drawn onto the baby against her chest, too concentrated on singing her a lullaby to notice anything else happening around them. Jake recognizes the melody, despite not being able to make out the words – Amy’s lullabies are all Spanish ones, a language he unfortunately doesn’t speak (not that he never tried to learn – he actually did, once, when he started dating the love of his life, though quickly had to give up). He knows it from a darker time, when he’d wake up in the middle of the night after one of his all too vivid post-prison nightmares, and Amy helped him back to sleep this way.

Thankfully, everything’s resolved now; life has taken a much joyous turn for them, and he’s more than happy to hear his now  _wife and mother of his child’s_  singing voice again, especially on such occasion.

When she eventually falls silent, sure that Ana is deeply asleep and won’t wake up for a while, she looks up, finally meeting her husband’s eyes. Her face lits up immediately and a tired, though loving beam slightly curves up the corners of her mouth. Jake takes this as his cue to come closer, taking a seat by his favorite girls’ side, instinctively wrapping an arm around Amy’s shoulder, watching the tiny peaceful baby on her lap.  _Their_  baby.

“Did we wake you up?” The woman whispers, making him look up at her.

“No. I didn’t even hear her cry,” he admits.

While he speaks, Jake skims his fingers over the infant’s head, gently stroking her already darkening hair. “I’m sorry,” he adds apologetically.

“That’s okay. You looked like you needed the rest. That’s why we came here – not to disturb you. And also because I was getting cold.”

Jake quietly chuckles. “Yeah, your nieces and nephews are  _so_  exhausting. They always want to play, never leave me alone one moment.”

It’s not a complaint, though. In this rented cabin, with both his and his wife’s  _whole_  families reunited together, he’s finally having the holidays he wished for since he was a child. And, the fact that it’s also his  _daughter’s_  first holidays makes it all the more perfect.

Amy reaches for his hand, squeezing gently, smiling back at him amusedly. “That’s because they love you. You’re amazing with children.”

_With babies too,_  she doesn’t add but means it, and her husband can read it in her eyes, his own smile growing wider as his heart fills with warmth.

There was a time, not long before Ana’s birth, when he began to wonder if he’d be able to do it – be a good dad. After all, he’d spent most of his life without one.

(And, when he was there, he wasn’t the best example either.)

All it took to calm down his worries, along with Amy’s soothing words, was a glance at the newborn. He knew instantly then, that he wouldn’t screw things up.

He  _couldn’t_.

Because he loved her so much already, the simple thought of her possibly being hurt crushed his heart, and he instinctively held her closer, as if to protect her.

_I promise I’ll always be there for you._

Minutes pass, and the couple stays silent, watching over their sleeping daughter, a matching beam spread across their features and Amy’s head now resting against Jake’s chest, surrounded by nothing but the relaxing sound of the still burning flames inside the fireplace. They watch as the sun starts to rise, slowly flooding the room in bright light, the floor outside now completely covered in the white powder. It’s only then that Amy talks again, putting an end to the quietness that had fallen upon them.

“We should take her back to bed before anyone wakes up and wake her up.”

Jake nods his agreement, and both parents head back to their room, carefully laying the baby back in her crib. Again, they take a moment to stare at her, unable to draw their gazes away from her as their fingers intertwine together on their own accord. When they finally look up and exchange a glance, they can read in the other’s glowing eyes the same expression of awe and  _love_.

Jake’s the first to make a move, his free hand coming up to cup his wife’s cheek, breaking the distance between them to peck her lips before pulling back, marveling at her.

“This is the best holidays ever.”

It makes her smile in return. She’s about to say something, but doesn’t even have the time to open her mouth that the door suddenly, though quietly, opens and a small head appears in the frame – it’s one of Amy’s nephews.

“Uncle Jake!” Mason calls, thankfully in a whisper. “Remember how you told us we’d get pancakes for breakfast this morning?”

He does, yes, and now regrets his promise – because it’s barely 7am during the  _holidays_ , but of course the youngest members of the Santiago family are already waking up. And they’re excited and  _hungry_.

Witnessing the scene, Amy laughs, urging him to go with a quick encouraging kiss, telling him she’ll join them soon. Jake lets out a sigh, though feels as happy as he’s ever been when he follows the boy downstairs, where a horde of children is impatiently waiting for him, all greeting him with huge grins and a hug.

It  _is_  the best holidays indeed, he thinks, then – spent with his whole, grew  _bigger_ , family.


	10. Finding a Kidney Donor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set somewhere at the end of season 2.

Amy waits, frozen in place, in front of the door to Roger Peralta’s apartment.

Now that she’s actually here, she doesn’t think this is such a good idea anymore. If Jake knew where she went, he’d probably be mad at her.

Well, if he still had the energy to be, that is. And if he had, she wouldn’t be here at all. This is her last and only option.

Her heart clenches in her chest at the thought of her colleague and friend. The image of him lying in a hospital bed with a face as pale as she’s ever seen him strikes back into her mind. She couldn’t even tell him she was leaving – he was sleeping when she left his side for the first time in days to search for his father. The doctors said he needed the rest so she didn’t wake him up.

She simply squeezed his hand in hers and kissed his forehead before she stood up from her very uncomfortable chair. She went out of the room without a look back.

She was tired of waiting uselessly for a kidney donor. She _had_ to do something – anything – to try and help Jake before it’s too late. She couldn’t watch the life slowly draw away from his body.

 _Damn his fucked up drinking habits… Who the hell_ never _ever drinks water?!_

Amy takes a deep breath, chases the depressing thoughts away and eventually knocks. Her hand is shaking – she throws it inside her pocket as she fights against the anxiety she can sense is building up in her core. It’s getting stronger with every new second passing by without a sound coming from the other side of the door. Impatient, she tries again, and again, pounding harder on the wood each time.

There are tears forming in her eyes she has to contain inside.

Thankfully, after almost a full minute, someone opens to her and Amy finds herself face-to-face with Roger. His hair is messy with a few strands falling in funny places and his eyes are drowsy as if he’s just woken up from a nap. His shirt isn’t even fully closed and if she looked down, she could see his zipper is open too.

Instead of feeling relieved that he’s home, the sight somehow makes Amy furious. Her hand clenches into a fist inside her pocket and her nails dig in her palm.

How can the man be taking naps when his own son is dying?! She hasn’t properly slept – not even at night – for _days_ now. And she knows she won’t get any true rest until her friend is safe and sound.

 _He doesn’t know about Jake,_ she tries to remind herself and calm down a little. Fatigue makes her overreact.

“Hello?” Roger’s voice takes her out of her reverie. He’s staring at her with a confused frown. Amy closes her eyes for a second to regain some composure before she lays them back on him.

“Hi, I’m Amy Santiago. One of Jake’s colleagues from the NYPD.” She introduces herself. Roger’s frown deepens at the mention of his son’s name.

“Jake? I thought he didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. Why are you here?”

“Can I… come in?” Amy asks. This is definitely not a conversation they should be having on a doorstep.

Roger steps aside and guides her to the kitchen. There, he offers her to sit and something to drink. Amy takes a sip of her beverage then clears her throat to gather some courage.

She goes straight to the point of her impromptu visit. “Jake’s sick,” she informs his father of the detective’s condition.

Her heart sinks with the words and she has to fight back tears again.

“Very sick.”

“Oh.” Roger doesn’t know what else to say – he clearly wasn’t expecting such news. He only waits for more details.

“He needs a kidney transplant. _Fast._ And we haven’t found any donor yet. Plus it’s always better if the donor’s genetically related with the person in need…”

“I’ll do it.” Roger cuts her in the middle of her ramblings. It takes Amy off guard. She watches him in silence for a while – there’s not a hint of hesitation in the man’s eyes. It’s rather startling – she hasn’t even _asked_ the question yet. She’d also made a whole binder full of arguments and researches she’s made about kidney transplants to convince him to do it, persuaded he’d say no in the first place.

(In another situation, she’d be disappointed she didn’t get the chance to show off her work.)

Who could blame her for arriving with such preconceptions, though? From what Jake told her – from what she got from only time she met the man – he didn’t seem to care so much about his son. To the point that the detective simply and completely cut him out of his life. Hence her fear of him reacting badly if he knew she’s getting Roger involved in this.

She doesn’t have another choice or any better idea, she tries to tell herself.

Mr. Peralta seems to read the surprise inside Amy’s eyes because he quickly goes on with a sigh.

“I know I’ve never been a great father to Jake and I should have been a lot more there for him and his mother in the past. But he’s still my son. I’m not gonna let him die if I can prevent it.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Amy can’t retain her tears any longer – they’re flowing along her cheeks. She knows it’s not the end of the nightmare – there’s still a chance the man won’t be compatible even if he’s willing to try. And then so many other things could go wrong during the surgery. But still, she doesn’t want to think about this right now. It’s finally a step forward they’re taking.

* * *

“Can I ask you something?”

Amy and Roger are on their way to the hospital when the man finally breaks the silence that had fallen upon them soon after they left his apartment.

“Mmhmm,” Amy nods without looking away from the road ahead.

“I know this is none of my business. But are you and Jake… together?”

The woman’s grip on the wheel tightens and she pauses for a second at the question. She genuinely doesn’t know what to answer. There’s been some kind of history between the two of them for a while – developing feelings for the other in turns. And, though they’ve talked about it and came to the conclusion that they were just friends, learning about Jake’s disease definitely shook things up again.

She’s spent a lot of time by his side since he got admitted to the hospital – more than any of his friends or members of his family. And in those dark hours, they’ve become closer than ever.

Jake even told her he loved her, the previous night. But she didn’t say it back. She was too afraid it was the morphine talking – but she’d be lying if she’d say she didn’t have feelings for him as well.

The way she gets sick to her stomach at the mere thought of possibly losing him is enough proof of that. The fact that she’s been driving miles for a way to save him too.

She _did_ kiss him, though. Or at least, let him kiss her when he asked if it would be okay if he did. And she surely wishes for a possible future together deep inside, once he’s back on his feet.

Because it’s all they should focus on right now. For him to get better.

“I hope we will,” she only answers then.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence until they finally reach the hospital. Amy immediately calls Jake’s doctors to let them know of Roger’s presence. The man is taken away to run some tests and see if he could be considered for a transplant while the detective rushes towards her colleague’s room. She’s been away for no more than just a few hours but she already misses him.

Plus he must be wondering where she went.

Jake’s wide awake when she enters, his gaze fixed on the TV. She pauses at the entrance for a beat and studies him. His silhouette has gone so much paler and thinner in so short. The lively sparkle inside his eyes has gone too. He looks like a shadow of himself and isn’t getting better – quite the opposite. Amy prays Roger will be able to help.

“Ames! Where were you? I got so scared when I woke up and you weren’t there.” Jake turns and intently stares at her when he finally hears her come in.

She walks towards the bed and takes her sit back by his side. She holds his hand in both of hers. She shoots him a shy smile as she unconsciously starts stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

“I’m sorry. I had to take care of something.” Amy explicitly stays vague. She doesn’t want to tell him the truth just yet – not when she’s not sure her plan is going to work. Jake doesn’t need to get his hopes up or know she tracked down his father and brought him here so that he could give him a kidney if it’s for nothing in the end.

He already has enough in his plate.

“How you feeling?” She doesn’t let him ask more questions and changes topics. Jake doesn’t even try to argue – he’s too tired for that.

He shrugs but manages a reassuring smile at her. He squeezes back her hands with his.

“Always better when you’re here.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promises. Her own smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

_Please let Roger be able to help…_

They talk for a little longer until they sink into complete silence. Amy watches over Jake when he closes his eyes, their fingers still intertwined together. She misses how his voice used to always fill a room. His incapacity to shut up tended to annoy her before but now she’d be willing to give away anything to have this back. She’d listen to all the stories he has to share with a newfound interest and attention.

She makes a note inside her mind that she’ll never tune him off again if he gets better.

 _When_ he gets better, she immediately corrects herself. She won’t lose him. She _can’t_ lose him.

Amy doesn’t know how many hours they spend like this until a doctor comes in and interrupts them in their quietness. The sound of the door opening as he enters the room wakes Jake up. The doctor has a file in his hands and a cheerful grin on his face that make the woman’s heart jump in her chest despite her attempts at not getting her hopes up too soon. This might mean nothing at all.

“Good news!” He looks at the both of them, his smile never faltering, not even a little. If anything, it only grows brighter. “The tests all came back conclusive. You’ve got yourself a kidney donor, Mr. Peralta.”

It’s all it takes for Amy to release all of the tension she was keeping in her body and let out a sigh of relief. She turns to look at her friend with a newfound happiness – weirdly enough, he looks more confused and skeptical than thrilled.

“What tests? I thought you already tested all of my friends and family who were willing to be a donor and no-one matched?”

“Someone else came by today. Mr. Roger Peralta, your father?”

Jake’s eyes grow bigger and more startled at the mention of the man.

“How did he…? Why is he…?” He’s so in shock he can barely put up two words next to one another. His gaze switches towards Amy – his expression is full of questions.

She finally and sheepishly explains everything to him. “Please don’t be mad at me. But the reason I left earlier? It’s because I went to see him. I couldn’t stand to do nothing and watch you get worse without being able to help. I know you didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore and I should have asked you first, I’m sorry, but…”

The next words get stuck in her throat. She lowers her gaze, unable to meet his at the moment.

“Mad at you?” Jake’s voice is strangely soft when he talks again. He takes his hand out of her grip and brings it to her face, gently putting a strand of hair behind her ear before letting it rest on her cheek. He forces her to look up and stare into his eyes as he speaks. “How can I ever be mad at you? Ames, you just saved my life.” He smiles.

The way he looks at her, so sincere and full of something that could be considered to be adoration helps her relax and she smiles back.

“Actually, your father will.” She can’t help but correct him though. _If the transplant works,_ she thinks but doesn’t say.

“I just…” Jake starts, then stops in the middle of his sentence. “Can you give us a minute, please?” He turns to the doctor, who nods his approval.

“Of course.”

Jake waits until they’re alone again to put his eyes back on his friend. They’re literally glowing and piercing through Amy’s core as he studies her face – the intensity of it makes her blush.

They also look more alive than they’ve ever been ever since his health started failing him.

“Ames, you’re so amazing.” He starts again. She can feel her ears and cheeks and neck burn harder as her skin colors a new shade of red. “I don’t know how I could thank you. And not only for this. For sticking up with me the whole time – I would have lost it if it weren’t for you.”

A first tear rolls down Amy’s cheek with the sincerity of her colleague’s speech. Her heat is pounding in her chest.

“Just get better. That’s all I need.”

Jake offers her a small smile in return. He brushes the salty pearl away with the hand still on her face and it makes Amy shiver at the soft touch. They stare at each other in silence for a while, until Jake leans over and gets closer. Amy meets him halfway in a tender, yet eager kiss.

“I meant what I said yesterday,” he whispers when they part and he puts his gaze back on her.

She’s too overwhelmed by everything that’s happening to say anything back right away, but it doesn’t matter – as the transplant works and Jake ends up on his feet with Amy by his side each step of the way to a full recovery, the two of them finally get a lifetime to tell and show the other how much they care about each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't hesitate to ask for a prompt based on the list, here or on Tumblr @b99peraltiago if you want! And feel free to use the list for your own fics and prompts if it inspires you too, of course ;)


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